Brexit dilemma over Irish border

I BELIEVE that under World Trade Organisation (WTO) rules, before any country can sign up to any trading/tariff agreement, it must have clear economic borders with custom controls. Under the Good Friday Agreement, since both Northern and Southern Ireland were part of the same trading bloc (EU) there is no problem.

However, if Northern Ireland, along with the rest of the UK is forced out of the EU, until such times as a border with custom controls is in place between these two separate nations, Britain is unable to complete any new trading agreement with any other nation.

Surely Government ministers and officials must know this. Why has this been ignored and why was this not made clear to the electorate before the referendum? The EU clearly understands the position and that is why it states Northern Ireland must remain in the customs union indefinitely – otherwise customs control must be set up between Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK.

The Tories and Labour must accept the people of the UK have three simple choices:

1. Vote for a united Ireland.

2. Remain in the EU.

3. Crash out of the EU, and be cast adrift with no chance of completing trading agreements unless with rogue states.

Ron Wynton Fortrose Ross-shire

Anent the current Brexit bourach, Richard Leonard’s contribution (November 18) was particularly enlightening, though not in the way he intended. We all know he is an expert in gaffes and contradicting himself, but this piece was a prize.

He points out Labour policy demands that any deal “delivers for all regions and nations of the UK”, and the current deal is unacceptable as it does not “deliver for Scotland”.